The first three numbers of this journal deal with the North-West Passage and the 1612-13 voyage of Sir Thomas Button.
p. 3 on motivation: We shalbe of necessitie enforced to seeke out remote partes of the world to vent o[u]r Comodities of the Realmes at a higher rate than now we doe whereby or [sic]people may live by their labor, Shipping may be encrased, and that or mariners be not enforced for want of entertaynemt to runn dayly into the service of other Nations to be imployed there, either their to serve or at home to starue.
More better it is and honorable for our State to vent or Comodities in Remote Regions where wee may have great prizes for them and retourne nedefull Marchandizes at easy rates being had at the first hand….” (cf. Milton in his History of Muscovy.)